Attention: TDR Forum Junkies 
I’m one of the many 2nd generation owners plagued by wandering steering, front-end vibration, caster shimmy, and uneven tire wear. Hopefully someone else will get a few ideas for their truck from the effort to fix my problems.
I bought my 2nd generation 3500 dually with 40,000 miles on the clock. It drove “okay”, but I wasn’t thrilled about the ride quality. I expected some roughness, since this was my first heavy-duty truck. But I wanted some improvement. Steering precision was awful, and this is one factor that still needs help.
I initially installed one of Darrin’s steering stabilizers (DSS), from Solid Steel Industries. This helped some, but didn’t come close to a cure. Then I tried the Solid Steel track bar bracket design, which adapts the 3rd generation track bar to 2nd generation trucks, to replace the ball stud joint at the frame. This modification didn’t have much noticeable effect at all. Wasn’t any worse, just didn’t help. I scratched the noggin’, and began to plan my next attack. Throwing parts at the problem was slowly becoming an obsession.
About this time, KORE was beginning to market their suspension products (under the name T-Rex), and I considered this system for a long time. Quite a bit of coin, for something that initially looked like “bling-bling”. (That’s a moniker I’ve read on several posts since – many here have also read those posts, so I don’t profess to “stereotyping” a potentially extravagant BOMB. ) My off-road driving is mostly on US forest service roads, with a bit of pasture wheeling also. And none of it is nowhere near the speeds that Kroeker and his baja-runner friends see regularly. But, the claimed improvement for road manners kept calling to me. So, after much reading, and a little discussion with Kent, I splurged for a T-Rex Chase system, and planned to set up installation with a local off-road specialist shop.
After getting the KORE/T-Rex system, I was so impressed with the parts that I didn’t want anyone else to install them. I was wary of getting a botched installation. So, I methodically planned how I could do it myself. Shouldn’t have worried so much, it really went smoothly. The worst part was getting the upper control arms pinned back into place – I reconnected the sway bar, and by lowering the axle it pulled right back into alignment.
The new spring and shock setup amazed me. Such a plush ride! And what’s this? – it seemed almost like I was driving my half-ton Chevy. In a one-ton truck?!? Bumpy roads were no cause to slow down. Parking lot speed bumps – Bah! But, now there was a bit of vibration. From where? Further inspection revealed worn ball joints. After a bit of argument with my dealer service, they agreed to replace them under my extended warrantee contract. A bonus – they destroyed the hubs getting them out of the knuckles, so I got new hubs with the same service request.
Damn, the vibration is still there.
Now, to continue the quest for solutions, I figure I’ll jump on the “Inverted-T” conversion for the tie rod linkages. Got all the parts (thanks to muchsnow), installed them, then went for an alignment. In case you’re not familiar with this tie rod conversion, you lose the mounting spot for the OEM steering stabilizer. From my reading on TDR, and since my truck never had shown me the Death Wobble, I wasn’t concerned. The alignment shop set my toe-in to dead-zero. Drove away – maybe 5 miles – and had my first DW experience. Scary, REALLY scary. Started calling up shops, browsed the Rancho website, and got a steering stabilizer mounted pronto. Used the stock mounting on the axle end, and got the Rancho bracket (with u-bolts) for attachment to the tie rod cross-link. The stabilizer suppressed the truck from going fully into DW mode, but my vibration is still there, and still no help with the steering wander. Now, since I’ve seen the DW up close, I’m always conscious that it’s “right there below the surface”, ready to rear it’s ugly head. Three different alignments have set my caster angles as far positive as adjustment will allow, but the shimmy/vibration won’t quit.
So, I now have a bunch of nice new parts, but the vibration and wandering still haunts me. Tires had been wearing badly since I got the truck. I’ve now driven about 20k additional miles, and it’ll soon be time for replacement tires, but I don’t want to mutilate six brand new ones. So, more components are needed. A Borgeson intermediate shaft was next. That made more improvement in the steering than anything I’ve done, but it still didn’t totally fix the wandering.
I couldn’t risk the balding, old tires anymore, and thought that their uneven wear might be contributing to my vibration. So, I splurged for some new ones. With the slight lift provided by the KORE/T-Rex springs, I figured I’d opt for some 255/85R16 tires to fill the wheel wells a bit more. As most people here know, there aren’t many tires to choose from in this size, and none of them are E-rated. So I hesitated a bit, but went ahead and bought a set (seven, with a new spare) of BFG Mud-Terrains. Nice ride, right out of the tire store. But still, the vibration persisted.
Now I’m aggravated. Wear out my new tires, will you? Took the truck back to the tire store, demanded another balancing (road force variance type), and was told they don’t have the proper adapters to fit my dually wheels. So, what did they use when they first installed the tires? Did their best without, was what I heard. I waited for adapters to arrive (two weeks), went back to the tire store, and watched them put the wheels back on the same machine that they originally used. Questioning this, I was told there still are no adapters for their force variance machine.
After the second balancing, with no improvement in the vibration, steering wander, or the caster shimmy, I’m now ready to have someone else tell what needs to be done. Called my dealer service manager, told him I was coming, and said he needed to fix it! But before that, not wanting to give them any excuses, I took off the 3rd generation track bar, and replaced it with a Moog/TRW OEM replacement. After taking off the Solid Steel adapter bracket, I noticed the wear points on the bracket, where it fit against the frame and tab for the OEM ball stud mount. This bracket didn’t fit my frame properly, evident with wear points on only one edge of the frame tab mounting area. There was also a spot where the bracket was rubbing on the frame cross member. So, perhaps this faulty fit issue is a factor? But, with a new OEM track bar, all the symptoms are still front-and-center. So, it’s off to the dealer service.
Up to this point, my dealer service had always pointed to my worn tires, and told me that they were probably the root of all evil. With my new BFGs, I figured I had them across the barrel, and they’d have to find the cause of my truck’s bad manners. Of course, after they drove, and drove, and drove, they still said I had tire problems. “Steering gear is tight”, they said. “Driveline angles are not severe enough to be a problem, and u-joints and center bearing are all good. Do you want us to balance your tires?”
I told them to check a couple of tires on their road force machine. The two front tires were 3-ounces out of balance. And that was with almost 10 ounces of weight (each wheel) that the tire store had installed. It looked like the service department was right. They said they could try to balance, but it may not be possible to get them optimized. I called the tire store, and asked them what we could do about the problem. “We’ll order some replacement tires”, they said. By this time, I was up against a calendar time crunch, with a 1200-mile trip coming up, and I certainly didn’t want to drive that far with the truck acting up. What an exhausting trip that would be!
I asked the tire store what they had locally – Michelin LTX-MS, in OEM size (235/85R16E). They put them on the next day, and by this time they had the wheel adapter for their road force balancer. My ride home was silky smooth.
I’m still dealing with wandering steering, and I don’t understand how the tires alone can solve the vibration issues. Even the caster shimmy seems to be gone. (Whether it’s truly gone, or just unexcited, who knows?) But I now understand how tires can make a huge difference. I’m not sure whether it’s due to E-rating vs. D-rating, or whether the mud-terrain tread might have contributed, but I will study a LOT harder when it comes time for another tire replacement.
My next goal is to get a replacement steering gear. I’m not convinced that the original is fully free of wear and backlash, since there are no other parts left in the steering linkage which aren’t new. I don’t know if I can convince my dealer to replace the steering unit under my extended warrantee. They didn’t want to perform the preload and over-center adjustment, since the TSB for that isn’t supposed to apply to 2001 models. But, they have worked with me very well so far. If they were to call in a factory rep, I’m sure he would look at my KORE springs and shocks and blame all the problems on that modification. So, from that perspective, my dealer COULD refuse any help with this truck suspension. And I’m very grateful that they still WANT to help. I think I’ll try and propose a compromise. If I buy a PSC steering gear, and ask them to install, will they cover the labor charge if it solves the problem?
Also, I think the track bar could still contribute to the steering issue. Even with the new Moog/TRW bar, it’s possible that play in the rubber bushing end could add to the steering play. I may try the DT Products track bar. It looks like a solid bar, with rebuild-able ends, even if means welding the bracket to the frame (as some have stated about the DT mount).
Anyway, that’s my story – still in progress.
Thanks for reading.
Hope this helps,
John
I bought my 2nd generation 3500 dually with 40,000 miles on the clock. It drove “okay”, but I wasn’t thrilled about the ride quality. I expected some roughness, since this was my first heavy-duty truck. But I wanted some improvement. Steering precision was awful, and this is one factor that still needs help.
I initially installed one of Darrin’s steering stabilizers (DSS), from Solid Steel Industries. This helped some, but didn’t come close to a cure. Then I tried the Solid Steel track bar bracket design, which adapts the 3rd generation track bar to 2nd generation trucks, to replace the ball stud joint at the frame. This modification didn’t have much noticeable effect at all. Wasn’t any worse, just didn’t help. I scratched the noggin’, and began to plan my next attack. Throwing parts at the problem was slowly becoming an obsession.
About this time, KORE was beginning to market their suspension products (under the name T-Rex), and I considered this system for a long time. Quite a bit of coin, for something that initially looked like “bling-bling”. (That’s a moniker I’ve read on several posts since – many here have also read those posts, so I don’t profess to “stereotyping” a potentially extravagant BOMB. ) My off-road driving is mostly on US forest service roads, with a bit of pasture wheeling also. And none of it is nowhere near the speeds that Kroeker and his baja-runner friends see regularly. But, the claimed improvement for road manners kept calling to me. So, after much reading, and a little discussion with Kent, I splurged for a T-Rex Chase system, and planned to set up installation with a local off-road specialist shop.
After getting the KORE/T-Rex system, I was so impressed with the parts that I didn’t want anyone else to install them. I was wary of getting a botched installation. So, I methodically planned how I could do it myself. Shouldn’t have worried so much, it really went smoothly. The worst part was getting the upper control arms pinned back into place – I reconnected the sway bar, and by lowering the axle it pulled right back into alignment.
The new spring and shock setup amazed me. Such a plush ride! And what’s this? – it seemed almost like I was driving my half-ton Chevy. In a one-ton truck?!? Bumpy roads were no cause to slow down. Parking lot speed bumps – Bah! But, now there was a bit of vibration. From where? Further inspection revealed worn ball joints. After a bit of argument with my dealer service, they agreed to replace them under my extended warrantee contract. A bonus – they destroyed the hubs getting them out of the knuckles, so I got new hubs with the same service request.
Damn, the vibration is still there.
Now, to continue the quest for solutions, I figure I’ll jump on the “Inverted-T” conversion for the tie rod linkages. Got all the parts (thanks to muchsnow), installed them, then went for an alignment. In case you’re not familiar with this tie rod conversion, you lose the mounting spot for the OEM steering stabilizer. From my reading on TDR, and since my truck never had shown me the Death Wobble, I wasn’t concerned. The alignment shop set my toe-in to dead-zero. Drove away – maybe 5 miles – and had my first DW experience. Scary, REALLY scary. Started calling up shops, browsed the Rancho website, and got a steering stabilizer mounted pronto. Used the stock mounting on the axle end, and got the Rancho bracket (with u-bolts) for attachment to the tie rod cross-link. The stabilizer suppressed the truck from going fully into DW mode, but my vibration is still there, and still no help with the steering wander. Now, since I’ve seen the DW up close, I’m always conscious that it’s “right there below the surface”, ready to rear it’s ugly head. Three different alignments have set my caster angles as far positive as adjustment will allow, but the shimmy/vibration won’t quit.
So, I now have a bunch of nice new parts, but the vibration and wandering still haunts me. Tires had been wearing badly since I got the truck. I’ve now driven about 20k additional miles, and it’ll soon be time for replacement tires, but I don’t want to mutilate six brand new ones. So, more components are needed. A Borgeson intermediate shaft was next. That made more improvement in the steering than anything I’ve done, but it still didn’t totally fix the wandering.
I couldn’t risk the balding, old tires anymore, and thought that their uneven wear might be contributing to my vibration. So, I splurged for some new ones. With the slight lift provided by the KORE/T-Rex springs, I figured I’d opt for some 255/85R16 tires to fill the wheel wells a bit more. As most people here know, there aren’t many tires to choose from in this size, and none of them are E-rated. So I hesitated a bit, but went ahead and bought a set (seven, with a new spare) of BFG Mud-Terrains. Nice ride, right out of the tire store. But still, the vibration persisted.
Now I’m aggravated. Wear out my new tires, will you? Took the truck back to the tire store, demanded another balancing (road force variance type), and was told they don’t have the proper adapters to fit my dually wheels. So, what did they use when they first installed the tires? Did their best without, was what I heard. I waited for adapters to arrive (two weeks), went back to the tire store, and watched them put the wheels back on the same machine that they originally used. Questioning this, I was told there still are no adapters for their force variance machine.
After the second balancing, with no improvement in the vibration, steering wander, or the caster shimmy, I’m now ready to have someone else tell what needs to be done. Called my dealer service manager, told him I was coming, and said he needed to fix it! But before that, not wanting to give them any excuses, I took off the 3rd generation track bar, and replaced it with a Moog/TRW OEM replacement. After taking off the Solid Steel adapter bracket, I noticed the wear points on the bracket, where it fit against the frame and tab for the OEM ball stud mount. This bracket didn’t fit my frame properly, evident with wear points on only one edge of the frame tab mounting area. There was also a spot where the bracket was rubbing on the frame cross member. So, perhaps this faulty fit issue is a factor? But, with a new OEM track bar, all the symptoms are still front-and-center. So, it’s off to the dealer service.
Up to this point, my dealer service had always pointed to my worn tires, and told me that they were probably the root of all evil. With my new BFGs, I figured I had them across the barrel, and they’d have to find the cause of my truck’s bad manners. Of course, after they drove, and drove, and drove, they still said I had tire problems. “Steering gear is tight”, they said. “Driveline angles are not severe enough to be a problem, and u-joints and center bearing are all good. Do you want us to balance your tires?”
I told them to check a couple of tires on their road force machine. The two front tires were 3-ounces out of balance. And that was with almost 10 ounces of weight (each wheel) that the tire store had installed. It looked like the service department was right. They said they could try to balance, but it may not be possible to get them optimized. I called the tire store, and asked them what we could do about the problem. “We’ll order some replacement tires”, they said. By this time, I was up against a calendar time crunch, with a 1200-mile trip coming up, and I certainly didn’t want to drive that far with the truck acting up. What an exhausting trip that would be!
I asked the tire store what they had locally – Michelin LTX-MS, in OEM size (235/85R16E). They put them on the next day, and by this time they had the wheel adapter for their road force balancer. My ride home was silky smooth.
I’m still dealing with wandering steering, and I don’t understand how the tires alone can solve the vibration issues. Even the caster shimmy seems to be gone. (Whether it’s truly gone, or just unexcited, who knows?) But I now understand how tires can make a huge difference. I’m not sure whether it’s due to E-rating vs. D-rating, or whether the mud-terrain tread might have contributed, but I will study a LOT harder when it comes time for another tire replacement.
My next goal is to get a replacement steering gear. I’m not convinced that the original is fully free of wear and backlash, since there are no other parts left in the steering linkage which aren’t new. I don’t know if I can convince my dealer to replace the steering unit under my extended warrantee. They didn’t want to perform the preload and over-center adjustment, since the TSB for that isn’t supposed to apply to 2001 models. But, they have worked with me very well so far. If they were to call in a factory rep, I’m sure he would look at my KORE springs and shocks and blame all the problems on that modification. So, from that perspective, my dealer COULD refuse any help with this truck suspension. And I’m very grateful that they still WANT to help. I think I’ll try and propose a compromise. If I buy a PSC steering gear, and ask them to install, will they cover the labor charge if it solves the problem?
Also, I think the track bar could still contribute to the steering issue. Even with the new Moog/TRW bar, it’s possible that play in the rubber bushing end could add to the steering play. I may try the DT Products track bar. It looks like a solid bar, with rebuild-able ends, even if means welding the bracket to the frame (as some have stated about the DT mount).
Anyway, that’s my story – still in progress.
Thanks for reading.
Hope this helps,
John
